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methods of work Trace outside of workpiece. Mark taper on workpiece. Jig EDITED AND DRAWN BY JIM RICHEY Lay jig on side. Workpiece Bandsaw fence Distance from blade to fence is width of jig plus V. Trim Cut workpiece shape out of jig . from each end. 1116 in. Plane to marked thickness. in. BestTip Taper jig combines bandsaw and planer Michael Fortune was the first woodworker to win the Saidye Bronfman Award, Canada's highest recognition of excellence in fine crafts. He designs and builds furniture in Lakefield, Ont. This jig makes tapered pans accurately and safely. To begin, cut the workpiece to size, making sure all the face and end surfaces are planed flat and square. Then cut the jig from a piece of scrap that's about the same thickness as the workpiece. Cut the scrap about 3 in. longer and 1 in. wider than the workpiece. Next, mark the taper on the workpiece. Place the workpiece on the jig, centered end to end. Line up the taper marks along the edge of the jig, then trace around the workpiece with a sharp pencil. Use a bandsaw to cut the jig along the marked line. As you cut, stay slightly on the waste side of the mark. Use a block plane, or sandpaper wrapped around a hard wood block, to straighten and smooth the cut until it meets the line exactly. The workpiece should fit snugly into the cavity. With the workpiece removed from the jig, use the bandsaw to trim about 1;16 in. from the face of the jig's two end sections. This provides clearance for the jig as the workpiece is run through the bandsaw and will help you set up the planer for the final cut. On the bandsaw, set the fence to make a cut 14 FINE WOODWORKI G Lay jig on edge with workpiece facing up. about Ys in. wider than the jig, then run the jig and workpiece through the blade. For a workpiece with a taper on two adjacent sides, rotate the part 90° and cut again. The ne}..1: step is to run the same jig through a thickness planer with the depth set to clear the jig by 1;16 in., giving the desired dimension. To minimize tearout along the taper, the thicker end of the workpiece should go into the planer first. If the workpiece has adjacent tapers, rotate the stock 90° and send them through the planer again. -MICHAEL FORTUNE, Lakefield, Ont., Canada A Reward for the Best Tip Send your original tips to Methods of Work, If published, we pay $50 for an unillustrated tip; $100 for an illustrated one. And if your tip is the best, you get a pair of 14-in. tenon saws made by Adria Toolworks. Woodworking, PO Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470. Fine